A South Korean broadcast media company unveiled the country's first artificial intelligence (AI) newsreaders on live television.

Seoul-based Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN) introduced the virtual news anchor during the evening news on November 6.

The female AI reporter was modelled after the network's lead anchor Kim Joo-ha who moderated an "interview" with the robot during its debut.

The two reporters who looked exactly like each other had a conversation which suggested it can do more than just read scripts.

The virtual anchor was created through deep learning technology which processed 10-hour recordings of the model anchor's appearance and movement, including her voice.

A reporter writes the script for a news report before the producer creates the subtitles which will then be read by the AI.

MBN believes that the AI anchor will greatly help in information dissemination, especially during emergencies.

The company said: "News reporting using an AI anchor enables quick news delivery in times of emergency for 24 hours non-stop."

Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) developed the AI news reporter.